Peugeot Re-Energize The 208

Peugeot's popular 208 has been re-energised and it now sports a new 'macho' style, with an optional textured paint and new two tone headlights...

Peugeot’s 208 is incredibly popular in the UK, so any changes would have to be carefully thought out to appease a public that has fallen in love with the car’s superb curves and pin-sharp handling.

Updated for summer 2015, the 208 now comes with optional textured paint that has the feel of a man’s stubble.

There are some equally bold colour options as well. Try the coffee-coloured Ice Grey, or the Ice Silver, which can be bought in the Allure and Active models with a startling Lime Yellow pack.

The new looks and tweaks reflect the French firm’s general move up the market. It’s also become a little more masculine, at least in GTi form, with a menacing Matt Black with Lacquered Red look.

The bodywork is now a touch more macho as well. There’s a deeper, wider grille, a newly designed front bumper and two-tone headlights with neat use of chrome and black.

At the back, lights are redesigned to showcase a lion’s claw, set to become a Peugeot icon, and new chrome along the flanks gives the 208 a striking new profile.

The tough-guy exterior of the Peugeot 208 hides a soft centre. There are plenty of soft-touch plastics in the cabin, plus dome delicious high-gloss black and aluminium. Even the Active trim gets a leather steering wheel that’s small enough to evoke the sporty control of go-karting.

The 208 is luxurious and desirable, but it’s great to drive, too. The manual version has smooth and slick changes and it takes rural bends without complaint. Change-ups on the automatic are equally seamless.

Want to save on fuel? You could do a lot worse than the 1.6-litre BlueHDi. Official figures suggest returns of over 94mpg, but independent testing has achieved figures far north of that. Emissions are planet-friendly, too, at just 79g/km – the best of any non-hybrid.

As if all that wasn’t enough, the latest incarnation of the 208, which will be in UK showrooms in mid-June, will also feature advanced safety features. These include reversing cameras, Park Assist and more.

Performance isn’t too shabby, either. You can get from 0-62 in the 1.2-litre petrol version in 10.7 seconds on the back of its 108bhp and you’ll top out at 118mph.

The Peugeot 208 is the French firm’s best-selling model. It’s cost-effective to own and pleasing on the eye. With these new, upmarket tweaks and a more masculine edge, the fan base can only widen even further.

Interested in a new 208? You can book a test drive today at your local Richard Hardie Sunderland, Ashington and Durham dealerships!

How to get top dollar for your part exchange……What you need to know from the inside.
We do want to give you as much money as possible for your car, we honestly do! And Here is why........................
4 things you need to know to protect your wallet

Finding the right car that’s suitable for you is an exciting experience but deciding how to pay for your new car can be a challenge as there are various options to choose from, some of which not everyone fully understands. Below we will explain the most popular forms of payment options, to help you decide which one is right for you.

Richard Hardie Ltd is a registered UK company registered number 01055767 at Trafford Road, Southwick, Sunderland Tyne and Wear, SR5 2DA. We act as a credit broker, authorised and regulated by the financial conduct authority FRN 668676. We are not a lender. Richard Hardie Ltd is an appointed representative of Revilo Life Ltd for insurance mediation activities only FRN 452360 registered office Revilo House, suite 2, Bridgefold Road, Rochdale OL11 5BX. For training purposes, all of our calls to and from our dealerships are recorded.